Water usage

Re “The Valley rates,” editorial, Nov. 2

Regarding your claim that water allotments shouldn’t be higher in the San Fernando Valley than elsewhere in the city: All things being equal, plants grown in the Valley do require more water than the same plants grown in the metropolitan region because of climate differences. The California Department of Water Resources’ website has a map of reference evapotranspiration zones, which is a general guide for determining the amount of water a plant might need at various locations. I’m no agronomist, but I guess this means that whatever plant I choose to grow will require significantly more water in the warmest climate of L.A. than the coolest.

David Olmstead

Ventura